Solar Plane Takes Flight in Abu Dhabi

A pair of Swiss pilots began their attempt to become the first to fly around the world in a solar-powered plane on Sunday in Abu Dhabi. Andre Borschberg and Bertand Piccard took off in the Solar Impulse 2 on a worldwide trip that will seem them hit every continent and cross both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans over the next five months.

The aircraft plans to stop at different points around the world for both maintenance and a campaign initiative about clean technologies.

The plane uses 17,000 solar cells on its wing as well lithium-ion batteries to fly at night. The plane is headed to Muscat in Oman. Read more at BBC.